


Unbridled Guilt

by TheWholeDamnTime



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Spoilers up to Episode 45
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-26
Updated: 2017-02-26
Packaged: 2018-09-27 03:03:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 894
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9949292
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheWholeDamnTime/pseuds/TheWholeDamnTime
Summary: Set in the early parts of episode 45.Percy's mind thinks far too much for his own good, and so he turns to his work to quell it. A short drabble about these adorable characters and the emotions that followed the events of episode 44.





	

Percival Fredrickstein von Musel Klossowski de Rolo III was too much of a thinker for his own good, and he knew it. And while perhaps knowing it contributed to the problem further, it never stopped him from his terrible habit of locking himself away for days at a time- or in this case a night- to try and distract his ceaseless brain with another route of thinking. Ensuring he didn’t blow himself to pieces kept his mind thankfully occupied as he tinkered and crafted, pieced together and carefully powdered. He’d already had his “an evening of unbridled guilt”, as he had told Vex, but quite frankly it hadn’t been enough to stop the seething, painful worry in his stomach left by the memory of the chill that had seeped into her body and the way his offering had shattered uselessly over her body, glass glinting in the light as it scattered around her elegantly arched form. Sleep was harder now that he had the thought that her eyes could have never opened again because of his foolishness, and so there was work. Work, that kept his mind clear with a focus on steady hands and black powder instead of bright feathers on black hair and clever eyes matched with a smirking tilt of the lips.

Of course, that was the moment she stepped through the door.

“Percy? I have some questions about my new arrow,” she sang out, and he flinched at the sound of her voice, the singular thing he had been trying to get from his mind parading into his workshop. Her brow immediately furrowed with concern as her eyes met his. “Percival, dear, what’s wrong?”

“I… I’d rather like to apologize, Vex’ahlia,” he said softly.

“Do you, now?” she asked with a smirk. “I thought we already discussed this, dear.”

“Your brother and I… well, we had a talk.”

“Black eye?” she asked again, her vision flicking once more to the darkened skin on his face before returning to meet his gaze.

“And I believe a chipped tooth, but that’s beside the point.” As he tried to wave her concern away, Vex sighed and raised a hand glowing a gentle yellow green, the color of the tips of new leaves. He felt the warm energy first, a soft cloud radiating onto his skin followed by the gentle touch of her hand on his cheek. Her thumb, rough from the constant thrumming of a bowstring on her skin, brushed over the area gently as she whispered a few soft words in elvish. He could feel the pain melt away and absentmindedly reached his own hand up to touch the area, accidentally brushing against hers and pulling away with a _sorry_ racing to his lips. Before he could speak, though, she threw him a light smirk and crooked an eyebrow, running her hand down the side of his face to cup his jawline.

“Don’t apologize.” Her words were curt but soft, and the playfulness seeped from her face until only seriousness remained. “I seem to be the only one around here not blaming you, and it’s going to stop.” Her thumb was slowly sweeping across his skin, and he would be much more distracted by the sensation if it hadn’t been for the monster of guilt ripping into his belly from the inside. “I’m here. I’m alive. I’ll still be here in the morning, and after that who knows? The same can be said for any of us, and we know it. We live a life of- of fighting dragons, for Pelor’s sake!” she cried, exasperated as her hand moved away to gesture, frustrated. “You had just as much chance in dying in there as me. We risk our lives _every day_ , Percy. Stop blaming yourself.” She let out a long breath of air, running her fingers over her temples and down the sides of her face with her eyes closed, like she’d expelled all of the energy and anger inside of her. Her eyes opened and flicked back to his. “Understand, Percival?”

“Understood,” he replied immediately, practically on instinct. The beast in his gullet wasn’t gone by any means, but it was a gnawing rather than a ripping feeling, and it was what she needed to hear. He’d have promised her the world to get the look of exhaustion and concern from her face, and while _that_ was a line of thought he’d have to bury under another few hours of work rather than deal with, it was true. The creases of worry that were many years too heavy for her face lifted along with a weight on his shoulders he hadn’t noticed before it left, and she gave him a soft smile.

“Good.” She took a step forward into his space and moved her weight forward so she could press her lips to his newly healed cheek. “You’re my favorite, too, you know,” she whispered, no more than a breath of air over his skin before she pulled back and walked away, leaving him with his jaw just ever so slightly ajar.

She only turned back to throw him a wink before disappearing down the hall and leaving him to turn back to his work with too many thoughts of soft lips and clever eyes for his own good.

There was no way he was going to be getting sleep tonight.

**Author's Note:**

> Greetings and Salutations, Critical Role fandom! This is my first (unfortunately rather short) work for you guys, but I can promise you that after episode 44/45 happened and the whole Feywild arc left me squealing, there is much more to come. I actually have a roughly 12,000 word (so far) Soulmates AU written out for these two that's only really 2/3s done, and so in perhaps a month or two it'll be edited and ready to post. I was also inspired by a few other Soulmates AU concepts I read, and so one or two shorter ones might swing by before or after the aforementioned one. There are all sorts of ideas rattling around in my head for this band of marauding adventurers! Please know that your comments and critiques absolutely make my day, and I'd love to hear from any of you for anything from critiques to prompts to unintelligible emotional responses. 
> 
> Note: I have just finished episode 64, so please no spoilers!


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